Youth sport - swimming: Poole post for Seagulls coach Alldrick

HEAD coach Barry Alldrick is leaving Christchurch Seagulls next month after being appointed as successor to his Poole counterpart Robin Armayan, who has landed a top job in Plymouth.

Seagulls in turn are expected to appoint Alldrick’s deputy Glenn Bailey in his place and look for a new assistant coach.

Alldrick, 35, said he was “very excited” about his move across the conurbation.

“Robin will be a hard act to follow but I’m excited about the opportunity to work in an environment that has achieved impressive results over the last five years,” he said.

“I can’t wait to start working with the swimmers and coaches to continue building the prestige of Poole Swimming Club.

“The training programme is fantastic and the potential of building success with Leaf Academy and Hamworthy Middle School and building a network at the lower end of the club offers a really exciting opportunity to widen the talent net in order for the coaches to work with athletes up to the highest level.”

Poole SC chairman James Kemmitt said Alldrick was selected from an “unprecedented field of talented national and international applicants”.

“Barry’s abilities, skills and experience were considered to be the perfect match to continue Poole SC’s progress following on from the previous five years of tremendous achievements,” he said. “The ability to get the best from the elite squad is of paramount importance for the new coach. However, maintaining the ethos of our club at all levels was also an important consideration in his selection.”

Alldrick, an England talent coach at levels one and two, will join Poole on March 17.

Armayan leaves after the first day of the Dorset championships this Saturday.

As a young swimmer, Alldrick swam under future GB head coach Ian Turner and alongside Olympic silver medallist Paul Palmer at Lincoln Pentaqua before joining Lincoln Vulcans, with whom he reached a national youth championship final in the 200m butterfly.

He came to Bournemouth in 2000 as Fitness First gym manager and land training coach for Bournemouth Dolphins before joining Seagulls as head coach in 2004.

Like his predecessor at Poole, Alldrick has led Seagulls through the most successful spell in their history, overseeing mergers with New Milton Torpedoes and Wessex Flamingoes Synchro Club and the launch of the club’s all-conquering water polo section.

Seagulls have risen through the divisions of the Arena League West, earning promotion from Division Three in 2006 and winning Divisions Two and One in 2009 and 2011 before spending the last two years in the Premier Division.

In the same period the number of regional and national qualifiers has risen from zero in 2004 to 28 regional and four national swimmers in 2013.

With some help from their short-lived link-up with Bournemouth Collegiate School, Seagulls have risen from eighth to second in the Dorset championships.